heroin epidemic
Widespread addiction problem
A heroin epidemic is a dramatic surge in heroin use, addiction, and overdose deaths within a population.
The term gained prominence in the 2010s as opioid addiction spread across the United States, often linked to prescription painkiller abuse transitioning to cheaper street heroin: The heroin epidemic has devastated rural communities.
Officials declared the heroin epidemic a public health emergency.
- opioid crisisMass addiction emergency
- crime ratesFrequency of offenses measured
- addiction counselingTreatment for compulsive dependencies
- withdrawal symptomsEffects of stopping dependence
- incarcerationConfinement in jail
safe injection sites · substance use disorder · trauma · peer support groups · naloxone · public awareness campaigns · social stigma · policy reform · rehabilitation centers · fentanyl · child neglect · economic burden · drug dealers · synthetic opioids · street drugs · pill mills · homelessness · poverty
- Drug Scandalsthalidomide, fen-phen, OxyContin, opioid crisis, drug recalls
- addictionaddiction, drug addiction, substance abuse, drug dependence, substance dependency
heroin epidemicsobriety
Unimpaired mental state
temperance movement · abstinence · clean living · teetotalism
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